The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Melabella]

Thank you Miss Lydia,

I want to open it so badly, but DD and DH are both out, and wouldn't dare eat it without them. Was thinking of waiting to see how it compares to the next few. Also want to see if it's fertilized to see if Duke is getting the job down yet. I wish someone was here to celebrate with, thank goodness I have you all!



MB

 

[aoxa]

Thank you Miss Lydia,

I want to open it so badly, but DD and DH are both out, and wouldn't dare eat it without them. Was thinking of waiting to see how it compares to the next few. Also want to see if it's fertilized to see if Duke is getting the job down yet. I wish someone was here to celebrate with, thank goodness I have you all!



MB

I was hoarse from screaming when I found that first egg. LOL

 

[Melabella]

It has to be pretty cold for them to freeze. My hens are always laying throughout the day - as I have a lot of them. The eggs rarely freeze unless I forget to collect and they are left overnight. When they freeze solid, they crack - but sometimes they are just partially frozen - and the ones that crack I give back to the chickens. Raw. I peel away the remaining shell and they chow down on a egg-cicle.

wow, ok, thank you for the info!

Aren't you afraid that would make one of them curious to open one and eat it on their own?

MB

 

[aoxa]

wow, ok, thank you for the info!

Aren't you afraid that would make one of them curious to open one and eat it on their own?

MB

That's a myth. Never ever had an issue with them eating eggs. It's instinct to keep their nests clean. They would only eat an egg if it had already busted in a nest, or if there was a soft shelled egg. There could be a very minor exception, but it's not the majority at all. If you have an egg eater, it wouldn't be from you feeding them raw eggs.

Any pooped on eggs get fed back right away. Too much work washing them off. They enjoy them, so why not.

 

[Melabella]

I was hoarse from screaming when I found that first egg. LOL

I hear you, the horses were all perked up, they knew I was excited. The chickens were looking at me as if to say...."are you nuts? Hurry up and change out the water please,we're thirsty!"

 

[Mumsy]

Here is a tough question with lot's of answers: How do you know the sex of the bird?

There are ways to tell. With day old chicken chicks you need to handle day olds by the hundreds and examine the inside of the vent. I have images I'll post. For most people, it takes practice with hundreds and then you recognize the tiny details. Male Duck and Turkey chicks have penises. They are easily exposed with very gentle handling. Practice practice practice. I can usually tell the sex by the third and forth day with my chicks by observing certain things. It's the careful observation, leg banding or toe punching and then keeping a journal diligently on the chicks. I am usually 99.9 correct on my guesses. Especially if you hatch lots of chicks from the same breeding pairs and trios. You get a knack for noticing small details of the genders.

 

[Melabella]

That's a myth. Never ever had an issue with them eating eggs. It's instinct to keep their nests clean. They would only eat an egg if it had already busted in a nest, or if there was a soft shelled egg. There could be a very minor exception, but it's not the majority at all. If you have an egg eater, it wouldn't be from you feeding them raw eggs.

Any pooped on eggs get fed back right away. Too much work washing them off. They enjoy them, so why not.

Love learning all this! Of all the things I have fed them, scrambled eggs does seem their favorite. Do you save their shells and give it back to them?

 

[aoxa]

There are ways to tell. With day old chicken chicks you need to handle day olds by the hundreds and examine the inside of the vent. I have images I'll post. For most people, it takes practice with hundreds and then you recognize the tiny details. Male Duck and Turkey chicks have penises. They are easily exposed with very gentle handling. Practice practice practice. I can usually tell the sex by the third and forth day with my chicks by observing certain things. It's the careful observation, leg banding or toe punching and then keeping a journal diligently on the chicks. I am usually 99.9 correct on my guesses. Especially if you hatch lots of chicks from the same breeding pairs and trios. You get a knack for noticing small details of the genders.

Except for silkies

I have guessed with silkies as early as week one and been right based on beak shape. It's not a science though, and there is always room for error. I've had boys really difficult to sex (silkies).

Turkeys don't have penises though. They are just like chickens in that regard.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Love learning all this! Of all the things I have fed them, scrambled eggs does seem their favorite. Do you save their shells and give it back to them?

Mine eat their shells out of the compost.

 

[aoxa]

Love learning all this! Of all the things I have fed them, scrambled eggs does seem their favorite. Do you save their shells and give it back to them?

Not always. It's hard to remind people to save them. I don't actually eat a lot of eggs. Any I do, goes back to them.

They do love the shells. Everyone worries about crushing them finely and drying them out prior to feeding them back. I don't do any of that. They break the shell up themselves.